BELLY DANCE TRAVEL AND TOURISM- STAYING SAFE & SANE: PART THREEE

 This is Part Three in a four-part series on belly dance travel and tourism. Even with the  social unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, many dancers are eager  to  travel to research, study and immerse themselves in  Oriental Dance.  If you're armed with  some knowledge about the places you'll be visiting  and  know what to expect  before and during your trip, you'll have a much better time.

 In this series, I'll cover everything from  keeping healthy and staying safe abroad to buying costumes; from cultural and social differences  to  breezing through security at  airports; from  communicating socially to haggling for a bargain.  

I learned all this stuff the hard way… but you won’t have to!

Dance Festivals, Tours And Classes

For most dancers, the idea of going on a belly dance tour or attending a dance festival in one of the countries where the dance originated is heaven on earth. Imagine getting to see performances from your favorite dancers-many of them living legends- and also being able to study with your idols… in between sightseeing and shopping excursions!  It’s not just a dream come true, it’s also likely that your trip will exceed your wildest fantasies! You’ll witness scenes that look like they just popped off the pages of a history book, you’ll hear incredible live music, absorb the culture, and be dazzled by the magic of it all.

 However enthusiastic you are, (and I’m relatively sure you’ll be bouncing off the walls just thinking about it) you need to acknowledge that pretty much everything you do will be a “peak experience”. Keep in mind the fact that you are mortal, and concentrate on reigning yourself in just a little, going for quality, not quantity.

 At dance festivals, you’ll want to take every class- and attend the gala shows, sign up to perform, shop for costumes, and talk to all your new friends from around the world. On tours, you’ll be waking up at 5:00am to visit ancient ruins, exploring the countryside and major cities, going to nightclubs, wandering through bazaars, museums and mosques and taking private classes.

There will be so much you want to do, there’s no way you’ll be able to do it all… so choose your activities wisely.

 Instead of booking non-stop dance classes, just pick workshops with your favorite instructors, (or someone who is highly recommended) and schedule in a little bit of downtime for yourself. Take advantage of your hotel’s pool or spa services.  Don’t feel the need to participate in every activity that is offered, whittle down your list of potential excursions to those you are really interested in. You might even want to spend a relaxing evening in your hotel room, enjoying room service and the amazing selection of Arabic music videos that are on television 24 hours a day. A couple of years ago, on a tour I was leading to Egypt, I once walked in on a roomful of girls tipsy on Duty Free wine, giggling hysterically as they watched “Oprah” dubbed in Arabic!

If you haven’t been to a foreign festival or on a tour before, this might seem impossible, but because of jet lag and your own excitement, it’s fairly typical to forget to eat or drink enough water. Add this to five or fewer hour of sleep a night, and you’re setting yourself up for disaster. 

Please remember that you need to stay well hydrated, well fed, and get enough sleep.  Injuries and illnesses typically occur when the body is exhausted- and trust me; you will be over-tired when you are traveling…especially at a dance festival!

The biggest piece of advice I can give you on attending belly dance festivals or going on dance tours in foreign countries is… pace yourself!

Buying Costumes

 Costume prices vary in Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey. There are always cheap souvenir costumes available at the souks, but these “airport specials” are most likely not worth bothering with if you are a professional dancer.

  In Cairo, custom made stage wear and off-the-rack costumes altered to fit you from top designers like Eman Zaki, Sahar or Hanan will probably run  $500.00 and up, but you can often get a discount if you purchase more than one.  Though many costume vendors will go for some  bargaining, most of the major ateliers will not, unless you are a regular customer.

If you’re not a “label whore”, you can easily find very nicely made, gorgeous costumes from up –and-coming or  “generic” ateliers for $60.00 - $350.00.

Bella of Istanbul does lovely costumes, but expect to pay Western prices for her custom made numbers. Even so, they are definitely worth it!

 Take your time and shop carefully, make a list of exactly what you want before you leave home…because your eyes will be literally popping out of your head when you see all the gorgeous stuff on display!

GRAB AND GO!

My house is so full of costumes that it’s been years since it reached critical mass!

Someone asked me recently how I find everything when it comes time to do a gig, and many others have commented on my neat and well-organized gig bags. Please believe me when I tell you that one of my greatest talents is making a mess.... over the years, I have developed a system that keeps my costume chaos at bay...so I thought I’d share a few tips with you.

I store my costumes each in their own plastic separate bag, complete with all the accessories for the costume, and a couple of CDs burned with the music I like to use with that costume. The CDs have full show sets on them, in varying lengths- so no matter what, there will always be something that I can dance to. Though some of my costumes have specific jewelry that goes along with them, I keep my jewelry separate from my costumes… so I am always trolling Forever 21 or swap meets for cheap, flashy “disposable” earrings and bracelets, which I can tuck into the costume bag itself, on the off chance that I forget to raid my jewelry box for “real” bling while packing for a gig. And, call me crazy, but I always throw in a few tampons into every costume bag!

Each gig bag I use (and there are many, believe me!) is a rolly- I absolutely hate trudging along on my way to a gig carrying a bag, so all of mine are wheelie bags. Every gig bag is stocked with a small, baby train-case or cosmetic bag bag full of bobby pins, safety pins, a brush and comb, band-aids, baby wipes, feminine protection, a toothbrush and tiny sample-sized toothpaste, finger cymbals, a pair of fishnets, a lipstick and an eyeliner ( just in case I forget my make up bag, but I swear, I never do!) and a small sewing kit. On my way out the door, I throw in a small bottle of water, and a power bar both of which I always keep on hand, specifically for gigging!

This way, I can decide what I am wearing, grab the plastic costume bag, and go…. But I always do a “dummy check” just to make double sure I have everything!

For costume storage, I categorize my costumes, not by color, but by the way I wear them... and what I wear them for. I have simplified this over the years so that it takes the guess work out of what I need for my shows.

For example, I have a whole area devoted “standard” cabaret belly dance costumes, which I wear for frequent gigs. There is also a shelf of cabaret costumes that I wear – but not quite as frequently. I also have a separate place for my specialty belly dance fusion costumes.

My class wear also has it’s own area, and I keep a fully stocked teaching/class bag complete with ballet slippers, CD’s, hip scarves, leg warmers, finger cymbals, plus a couple of extra sets for students to use, a reusable water bottle, a light sweater and a veil. My class bag is used quite a few times a week, so every time I go to the store, I throw in a few packages of trail mix or a couple of nutrition bars, packed up in a baggie into one of the outside pockets…. in case I happen to accidentally leave my class bag sitting in the car for a while, this will contain the mess!

But back to storage-- there are also shelves devoted to my burlesque costumes that, again, are packed in plastic bags, with every accessory I like to wear, and music for the specific act. In this case, I also throw in a pair of fishnets into the costume bag as well. On these shelves, I have a small plastic box with four levels of trays, and I set my pasties in these trays, side by side, so they won’t stick together with any adhesives used on them. I store my gloves sorted by length, and these go into shoeboxes near the pasties.

Extra veils, skirts, wings, fans and other garments or small props that can be used for a multitude of gigs also have their own area, and the shoes I wear for gigs are stored nearby.

Wigs and hairpieces are an integral part of many dancers’ wardrobe as well and I count mine as costume pieces! If you own some faux hair, take care of it by purchasing- and using- a wig brush and some wig spray- both available at beauty supply shops. Don’t use regular hair spray on a synthetic hairpiece, it will make it gummy and, well, yucky. Keep your hairpieces in a hairnet to prevent tangling, and store the netted wig in a small box or plastic bag, so it won’t tangle or snarl. If you have fall or wig that isn’t set in a specific style (such as dreadlocks, or a Marie Antoinette extravaganza) make sure to use a spritz of wig spray and brush the hairpiece well before putting it way, as well as when you take it out to use.

When storing my floral hair accessories or larger crowns and headpieces I usually keep them in plastic boxes that lock tightly and stack up on top of each other. I wrap my metal tiaras in acid-free tissue paper to prevent them from tarnishing, and nest as many as I can fit safely (without denting them or damaging their shape) into one of these stackable boxes too, but a sturdy shoebox would work just as well.

For the hair flowers, I clip them to postcards that I have recycled from gigs, and stick the postcards into the boxes vertically, the same way you’d put books in a bookshelf. If I have a specific flower that goes with a certain costume, I will put it in a cardboard box or old aluminum tea container, then pop it into the costume bag, so it will always be there and I won’t have to search for it.

My storage system may not work perfectly for you, but I heartily encourage you to develop your own—it makes things so much easier on hectic gig days!

FLASH DANCE: WHAT'S GOING ON UNDER THAT COSTUME?

When figure skaters flash their panties- which is quite often- nobody cares, because the panties are part of the costume!

But when dancers flash their panties, unless it’s done intentionally at a burlesque show, the audience usually winces.

What you wear-or don’t wear- under your costume is your business, but it shouldn’t ever shock or traumatize your audience!

Nowadays, there are many types of cute, affordable and glitzy undergarments that look great on dancers of all genres...those who flash on purpose ( salsa, swing, burlesque , and can-can dancers) and those who don't, such as ballroom, Flamenco or belly dancers.

Determine your needs depending on what sort of costume you are wearing. There’s a type of undergarment for every type of costume. Many gals prefer thongs or g-strings, but you may want or need fuller coverage; it’s your call.


Lots of salsa costumes and Egyptian-made belly dance costumes now come with matching panties or dance pants built in… but there are plenty of costumes that don’t! If your costume has no built-ins, especially if you are wearing a short skirt or something sleek with a lot of hip cutouts, then G-strings or thongs are a must.


If you want to rock this kind of cut-out costume and feel secure in it, I suggest two options:

The first is to secure the thong to each side of your hips with double-sided fashion tape.

The second is to buy a thong or g-string that matches your costume exactly- that way, if part of your undies show through one of the cut outs, it will simply look like part of the costume.

Nowadays you can purchase any style of underwear in a huge range of colors and materials, including wild patterns and metallic colors, so matching your costume shouldn’t be a problem. I myself have even embellished the straps on my thongs with rhinestones, so if I have a slip-up, no one will be the wiser!


No matter what sort of panty- precautions you take, if you’ll be doing floor work, spins or high kicks, especially when working on a raised stage, unless you are wearing pantaloons or full length pants under your costume, there’s a pretty good chance that you may flash the audience…so it’s your duty to do as much damage control as possible.


Check out boy-cut dance pants and cheerleading trunks to wear under your costumes. Both styles come in a rainbow of colors and fabrics, including metallics, bi-color combos and animal prints; some even have contrasting trimming or ruffles on the booty! Wearing briefs that are color co-coordinated to your costume really minimize the impact of an unintentional flash, and make it look…well, more like a figure skater.


Danskin and Capezio both make really nice versions of dance trunks, in hip-hugger and waist-high styles with different types of legs, from French cut to boy shorts. Balera, another popular dance brand, makes dance briefs that are a tad longer than boy shorts but come in many color options and stay put, covering everything that needs to stay covered.

A word to the wise: you'll probably want to stay away from flesh-toned panties or trunks because they look like....YOU. Go for something matching, or contrasting, so there's no speculation about what's being revealed, accidentally or on purpose!

1970’s showgirls, Flamenco dancers and belly dancers of the same era often used to wear embellished undies beneath their costume, so I stole that trick and started to do that too. It looks cute if there’s a slip-up…in a Marilyn Monroe in “The Seven Year Itch” kind of way.

The popular lingerie brand Leg Avenue makes darling, lightweight, and very affordable hip-hugger boy shorts that are covered in tiny gold, red, black or silver paillettes. They are inexpensive, comfy and ultra-blingy… so if you happen to flash, it’s just another glitter explosion… and not a guessing game!

Remember- always cut the tags off your undies before you wear them on stage…. no matter what you wear over them!


Resources:

Cheerleader briefs: http://www.cheerleading.com/Category45.html

Sequin panties: http://www.lalalingerie.com/sequin-panties-p-1638.html?osCsid=1055bc88af65e40987dc5a8f1b0cfc67

Balera metallic & colored dance trunks: http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/Search.aspx?search=balera&brand=Balera&page=2



Photo: Princess Farhana in Capezio dance trunks by Gary & Pierre Silva

CROWNING GLORY: CONSTRUCTING HEADRESSES AND CROWNS

Over the years, many people have wondered about my stage name, Princess Farhana. Reactions to my royal moniker have run the gamut from those who “get” it, to people who are confused or once in a while, even outraged. Many individuals show tongue-in-cheek deference and call me “Your Majesty”, or “Your Highness”.

Sometimes when I was teach and perform in Europe and the UK, where there are people who are true royalty, dancers earnestly and politely asked my sponsors if they should refer to me by my “title”. I even recall a review of a an early video performance of mine where the mean-spirited writer not only dissed my dancing but seemed to be downright disgusted that my name was Princess Farhana. I should have taken a cue from my royal sister Marie Antoinette and told her to go eat cake!

The truth is, when I started dancing, I was just plain old Farhana. But like an ancient legend, my royal title was bestowed upon me; the “fairy-godmother” who started calling me Princess Farhana was the dancer Atlantis. Her reason? The fact that I wore my trademark crown or tiara every time I performed. Like many nicknames, it stuck immediately!

Before I even set foot onstage, I had a crazy, big-ass collection of crowns and tiaras, ranging from vintage beauty queen numbers I’d found at flea markets to plastic kid’s tiaras with blinking LED lights to cheesy “Halloween Headquarters” Cleopatra-style Egyptian cobra-crowns to Victorian –through- 1920’s headpieces glittering with semi-precious stones purchased (sometimes for budget-breaking sums) from auctions and estate sales. I was an addict! It got to the point that rhinestone tiaras were simply not enough, I needed CROWNS. Then, in total junkie mode, crowns were not enough and I needed full-on headdresses. I soon realized that merely wishing for royal headgear wasn’t going to make it a reality… so I got out my craft supplies and started to play.

After a lot of experimenting, I got pretty good at fabricating fabulous head pieces… so here are a few ideas and tips for doing it yourself. You will need some or all of the following materials, many of which can be purchased inexpensively at craft or sewing stores, or even- if you are a crazy crafts/costume hoarder like me- found around your home. Here’s what you’ll need: a glue gun and glue sticks, craft glue, glitter, a yard or two of 1” elastic, rhinestones, artificial flowers, Mardi Gras beads or pearls-by-the-yard, feather plumes, sequin appliqués, and scraps of decorative material, such as brocade, sequin-dot fabric, or lame’. Get a couple of cheap plastic headbands – Goody, Scunci or any dime store brand is fine. Also- have a Styrofoam wig-head on hand, they are invaluable for the crafting of your headpiece, and the perfect place to store crowns and headdresses.

Coquette Feather Spray:
This cute headpiece is like one that a can-can dancer or saloon girl would wear, and is an awesome topper for cabaret, tribal, Goth or burlesque style dance costumes. Place a headband securely onto a wig-head, and with your glue gun, draw a line down the center of surface of the headband, thinly and evenly, then press sequin trim or decorative ribbon down on the line, turning the ends of the trim under at each end of the headband. Wait a few minutes for the glue to set, and then squirt a healthy blob onto one end of the band, the part that goes over and behind your ear. Press a feather plume or two into the glue. When the feather is stable, squirt more hot glue onto the “join” of the feather and headband, and cover it with glitter or rhinestones, which will cover any excess glue as well as look adorable!

Tiaras
The difference between crowns and tiaras is that crowns encircle your head, and tiaras are U-shaped, affixed to your head at each end, behind the ears, for dance-worthy tiaras, it’s a good idea to secure the headpiece with elastic from end-to-end. You may want to buy a couple of a pre-made tiara forms, which are basically wire-framed buckram or net crowns, available from most bridal shops or on the Internet. These range in price from about $5.00-$15.00, and make wonderful bases for embellishment, as well as save you some time in fabrication. If you get one of these, they usually have a covered wire attached from end to end. You can either leave it on, or snip it off with a craft scissors or wire cutter, and affix elastic either to each end by hand-sewing it with sturdy thread or dental floss. If your hair is dark, use dark elastic, so that it matches your hair.

You can cover the tiara form with decorative material (trace the tiara, c and cut the material a little larger so you can fold back the edges for more coverage. An easier option would be to lightly spray the tiara form with regular spray paint (from a hardware store) to match your costume. After it has dried thoroughly, and affix sequin appliqués or faux flowers to the front of the crown with a glue gun. You may also want to line the top edge of the tiara with sequins-by-the-yard trim or grosgrain ribbon, to give it a finished look. Make certain to turn the ends under, so they do not fray.

Headresses
To fabricate a headdress, begin by measuring your head from ear-to-ear across the top, and using a plastic headband for a guide, draw a curved crown shape on a sturdy piece of cardboard… any stiff cardboard is fine- I’ve used everything from (oh, the GLAMOUR!!!) water bottle or beer boxes to mailing cartons from the recycling bin! Cut the shape from the cardboard with a sturdy scissors. You may need a couple of tries to get a good shape that fits your head snugly. You may also have the crown rounded or with a point in the middle, at the top- your choice. Personally, I like the ends to be about 1-2” in size, and the mid-point, or top of the crown, about 3-5”. Once you have a shape that works for you, fits your head and is the height you want, trace it, and cut out another identical shape. To embellish, you can either spray the crown-shapes again, or lay them flat on a two scraps of decorative cloth, tracing out the design on the cloth with about an inch to spare. After you’ve cut out the shapes on your material, lay each of the cardboard crowns on both of the pieces of cloth, and glue them down by folding the cloth over the edges, and securing with a glue gun.

Next, place one crown-shape with the decorated side down, take your feather plumes, and lay them out on the wrong side of the crown, end-points down (you may need to trim them a bit from the bottom) on the crown. An uneven number is best for this, so start from the center, and place the other plumes on each side of the center plume. Measure for even spacing, mark with a pencil, and using your glue gun, trace the lines you’ve marked, with a good amount of glue, and press the feathers into the glue. Let this dry, try it on, and measure a length of elastic (white or flesh tone is best) from ear-to-ear, with about an inch left over on each side. This will be your headdress chinstrap, so make sure it’s a tight fit, but not so tight that it will strangle you! Again, with the glue gun, squirt a healthy dollop on one end of the headdress, at the bottom, on the wrong side (the side you’ve affixed the feathers to) and glue down the excess elastic. Making sure the elastic is straight; repeat this step on the other side.

Now, take the other crown-shape, and its wrong side, cover the entire surface with hot glue. Making sure it is laying evenly on top of the first form you made, press it down like a headdress-sandwich onto the feathers, so that they are held between the two layers of crown-shapes. After it has dried, you may want to make sure that top ends of the headdress-crown or held together in a sturdy way, and add a little glue for re-enforcement, being careful not to get any of the goo on the feathers.

Make sure to practice your dancing with the headdress or tiara a lot before you hit the stage- because the added height can throw you off a bit. Turns will also have a different feel, because of the height and resistance-factor, and some moves, like head-tosses, may be impossible! Also, warm up your neck and shoulders properly, because if you don’t, even that little bit of extra weight on your head may cause some discomfort the next day.

Have fun being a dancing diva!!!!


*Photo by Don Spiro